Shoe protector



T. B. MURPHEY Feb. 5 1924.

SHOE PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 6, 1922 Patented F eb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES THOMAS BENTON MURIHEY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOE PROTECTOR.

Application led February 6, 1922. Serial No. 534,450.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS BENTON MURPHEY, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Shoe Protector; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to shoe protectors adapted to 'be used for thetemporary protection of the forward portions of ladies shoes, and in itsgeneral aspects aims to provide an inexpensive protector which caneasily be adjusted for effectively protecting shoes of varying sizes andshapes, which will have added strength at desirable points, which canreadily be folded into an exceedingly compact form, and which will becheap enough so that it can be discarded after comparatively few uses ofthe same.

Viewed in some of its more particular aspects, my invention aims toprovide a shoe protector having a main sandal-like portion which canreadily be made out of wax paper or the like and desirably out of asingle-piece blank of such paper, aims to provide a blank for thiskpurpose which will' afford a double thickness for the sole of theprotector, aims to provide a method of folding certain parts of therolled up blank so as to afford added thicknesses at the sides and tipof the sole, and aims to provide for expanding or contracting theprotector portion adjacent to the arch of the s'hoe so as to fit` iteffectively to the shoe over which it is used. It also aims to providesuitable and effectively disposed Ameans for fastening such a protectorto a shoe, and aims to provide vamp-protecting tabs arranged forunderlying portions of the fastening members. Still further and moredetailed objects will appear from the following speci fication and fromthe accompanying drawings, in whichf Fig. l is a perspective View of theshoe protector embodying my invention, showing the same as it appearswhen in use on a ladysshoe.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom view of the4 same protector whenA detachedfrom the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the lnain portion of theprotector of Figs. 1 and 2 was formed, with the approximate fold linesindicated by dotted lines and with tapes attached to the blank to serveas fastening elements.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View, drawn on a smaller scale and showing thisblank as rolled into a tube prior to closing the forward end of thetube.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken along the line 5-5 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a similar section taken before the lateral folds were made.

In making the embodiment of the drawings, I start with a. blank ofsheerl material, such as a thin but tough waxed paper, which blank has amain portion comprising a central part l bordered on its opposite edgesby wings 2 and 3, each of the wings desirabl)r being approximately ofthe width of the sole of the shoe with which the protector is to be usedwhile the intermediate portion is of approximately double this width.The blank is incised at its forward end between the said intermediateportion and the said wings thereof and also is narrowed forwardly alongits original lateral edges so that each of the said three sections isforwardly pointed. Then I also provide the blank with a pair ofrearwardly projecting tabs extending longitudinally of the blank anddesirably having their oppositely disposed edges disposed approximatelyin alinementwith opposite edges of the medial portion l.

The blank as thus formed is first rolled into a tube by overlapping thewings 2 and 3 with each other, as shown in perspective in Fig. 4 and insection in Fig. 5, thereby affording a tube presenting at its forwardend a pair of incisions at opposite sides of the proposed sole. Theoverlapped wings when in this position are secured to each other by anysuitable means (as for example by` pressing lthem with an iron ofsuflicient heat to cause the wax on their' adjacent surfaces to unit)but. this uniting is desirably done only for a portion of the length ofthe overlapped sole wings from the forward ends thereof, or to an extentsuch as that indicated by the line A in Fig', 2. l

I then contract the forward end of the resulting tube by making folds inthe same, each of which folds is desirably symmetrical with respect tothe division line between the medial blank section and one wing, as forexample by folding along the lines B and C so as to double theinterposed portions upon each other, In doing so, I turn the resultingfolds under the overlapping wings which form the sole of the shoe, and Ilthen snake a further fold by turning` the projecting tip D from itsoriginal position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 'to a position inwhich it underlaps both the aforesaid folds and the tips of the wings 2and 8. In making these operations, the providing of the substantiallylongitudinal folds along the edges of the proposed sole of the shoeeffectively contract the original tube so as to afford the desired taperfor the shoe, while the turning under of the tip D effectively closesthe forward end ofthe resulting tapering tube. Consequently, by thensecuring the said underfolded portions to the lowermost of theoverlapped wings 2 and I obtain a. casing resembling a sandal and one inwhich the flexibility of the material permits a ready adjustment toshoesof somewhat varying sizes and shapes. Furthermore, by leaving theoverlapped wings unsecured to each other for a considerable portion oftheir length from their rear ends, I permit these rear portions oi thewings to be slid upon'each other so as to increase or decrease theopening at the rear end of the tube thereby allowing the protector'tfobe adjusted fairly closely to the shoeto which it is applied. Forexample, these overlapped wings may be slid over each other as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby adapting the same to a shoe which isconsiderably narrower at the rear end of the sole than the one fitted bythe `protector just as shown in Fig. 2, rand also raising the rear endof the flaps under the arch of the shoe (or from the dotted to the fulllines of Fig. 1) to prevent slush from entering the rear end of thesandal. While such an adjustment may involve some crinkling of thematerial, this is not objectionable for such purposes as the one forwhich my protector is designed.

`In securing the protector to the shoe, the fasteningl elements, whichare desirably in the form of paper tapes 5 and 6 may be em ployed in anysuitable manner4 bothfor preventing the protector from sliding forwardlyoff the shoe and for drawing the rear end of the protector into closegripping relation to the shoe. For example. Fig, 1 shows each of thefastening tapes as being run alongside the vamp 7 of the shoe to theback; of the shoe, where the two tapes 5 and 6 are looped into eachother so that each returns on the same side of the shoe as that at whichit is secured to the protector.` The forwardly re-` directed tapes arethen crossed over each other at the instep and carried around theshoeunder the arch of the sole and thereafter are brought up over theinstep where they can be conveniently knotted together. Thus arranged,the portions of the tapes which pass under the arch of the sole willclamp the rear part of the sole-forming portions Of the protectoragainst the arch of the shoe, thereby lifting these considerably off theground so that no mud, snow or slush will enter at this point, and alsofirmly clamping the entire forward portion of the protector in position.j

In applying the shoe protector of the drawings in this manner, the tabs4t eXtend along the sides of the foot to the rear of the shoe, thesetabs being desirably of ample length so that they can be lapped aroundthe bach of the vamp of the shoe to afford at least a partial coveringfor this portion of the shoe also. Then by using fastening elements inthe form of tapes respectively secured to the protector at oppositesides thereof and each adjacent to the middle of the juncture of the tabwith the main protector portion, I interpose these tabs between the vampof theshoe and the tapes, so that the tapes will hold the tabs tightlyagainst the shoe. Moreover, the portions of the tabs which pass aroundthe inside and under the arch bear against the fastened end portions ofthe tapes, thereby clamping` these in position to aid in ,preventing theprotector from being torn by any undue tautness of the tapes.

VBy thus employing `a protector which is slipped upon thefshoe from thetoe thereof and which has freely gapping portions at its rear end, I canuse protectors of a `given size for shoes varying considerably both inlength. and in width, thereby permitting the dealers to supply thedemand with a quite `small range of sizes. Moreover. by doubling thematerial along the tip and the forward edges of the sole or at thepoints subjected to the greatest wear, I can readily manufacture aprotector of ample durability at a very low cost, particularly if I alsoemploy strong paper tapes for the fastening members. Furthermore, thecomplete protectors can readily be folded into a quite compact space sothat one or more pairs of the same can be. carried in a ladys hand bagfor instant use, while the cheapness of the protectors will warrant herin throwing them away when soiledn However. while I have illustrated anddescribed the protector of my invention as made of waxed paper' and asemploying tapes for the fastening elements, Iv do not wish to be limitedto these particular materials. Neither doI I wish to be limitedto thevarious, details of the construction arrangement above disclosed, itbeing obvious that the same might be modified inA many ways withoutdeparting either from the spirit of my invention or from the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention 1. A shoe protector comprising a sandal havingfreely overlapping rear sole portions adapted to be slid upon each otherto permit the sandal to be contracted about the arched portion of a shoeand having flexible fastening members secured to the sandal and of amplelength for extending around the back of the shoe and around the archedshoe portion to prevent the sandal from sliding off and to effect .thesaid contraction of the sandal.

2. A shoe protector comprising a sandal formed from a blank doublyincised at its forward end to afford three forwardly projecting tips,the outer two tips being lapped under one another to afford a doubledsole portion and the blank being transversely plaited at each side ofthe portion to contract the toe covering portion to a taper.

3. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having theoriginal lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford adoubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itselfand turned back under the said doubled sole portion, and also havingsubstantially longitudinal folds formed from the forward portion of thetube at opposite sides thereof to afford a tapering shape for theprotector.

t. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having theoriginal lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford adoubled sole portionand having the forward tube end doubled upon itselfand turned back under the said doubled sole portion, and also havingsubstantially longitudinal folds formed from the forward portion of thetube at opposite sides thereof to afford a tapering shape for theprotector, the said folds also being turned under and secured to thedoubled sole portion.

5. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having theoriginal lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford adoubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itselfand turned back under the said doubled sole portion, the overlappedportions being secured to each other only for a portion of their lengthso as to leave their rear portions free to permit an adjustment in thesize of the rear end of the protector to the shoe on which it is used.

6. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a. tube having theoriginal lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford adoubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itselfand turned back under the said doubled sole p0rtion, the tube havingtabs projecting rearwardly from its vamp-forming portions at oppositesides of the protector.

7. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having theoriginal lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford adoubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itselfand turned back under the said doubled sole portion, the tube havingtabs projecting rear wardly from its vamp-forming portions at oppositesides of the protector, and fastening elements secured to the tube andrespectively overlying the said tabs.

8. A shoe protector comprising a sheet rolled into a tube having theoriginal lateral edge portions of the sheet overlapped to afford adoubled sole portion and having the forward tube end doubled upon itselfand turned back under the said doubled sole portion, and also havinsubstantially longitudinal folds formed 2(from the forward portion ofthe' tube at opposite sides thereof to afford a tapering shape for theprotector, both the said folds and the forward end of the doubled soleportion being turned under and secured lto the said doubled soleportion. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, February 3rd, 1922.

THOMAS BENTON MURPHEY.

